SIGHTING: CROSS JUNCTION, VIRGINIA (UNITED STATES)

Witness Testimony

"1. I was on my back porch enjoying the sunshine and blue clear sky.2. I looked up over my left shoulder, at the treeline just as I was entering the house. I don't know what spurred me to do so. That is when I noticed the bright cylinder.3. My first thought was a commercial jet. Many flights a day cross over my location to and from IAD and DCA airports. But it was in the wrong location, had no wings, and was stationary.4. This object was bright silver, cylinder or 'cigar'-shaped, and from my perspective vertical. The wind was very slightly ruffling the trees, from the NW, but if this object moved at all it was only very slight, and to the N. Through my binoculars, I saw it had two dark perfect circles, one at either end. Those dark spots illuminated, like at mag-lite flash light for 1-2 secs, then dimmed again, staying dark for 10-15 secs, then brightening. I saw this cycle 3 times.5. When I first realized it wasn't a plane, I felt a little quesy, anxious maybe. I immediately went through a mental list of what it could be: satellite, space station, mylar balloon, etc. But I ruled the 1st 2 out as being too far away, and the last because it seemed to me it would have been drifting toward me and would have changed shape as it did so.I then dashed inside for my camera. (crappy Kodak EasyShare C143 12 MP)I zoomed in a tried to steady myself and snapped a shot. I realized I needed a tripod. Staring at the object I debated, then ran inside again to retrieve my tripod from the closet. Fumbling, I got set up, and was thankful to still see the object. I took 3 more still shots, and 2 videos. This whole while (approx 4-5 minutes) I was trying to judge the distance. My best guess is that it was 2000-5000' in altitude and maybe 1/2 mile to my north, about 50-60 degrees above the horizon.It was still there, so I ran inside for my binoculars. I was stunned to see that is was perfectly symmetrical, rounded at both ends, dimensionally 1 unit in diameter by maybe 5-6 units in length, with 2 dark spots at either end. Those dark spots turned out to be lights. They pulsed on for a second or two, then dimmed dark. Not on and off like a light switch. The light seemed of the palest white-yellow.I then went back to the camera to make another video, wishing I could zoom in more, but when I looked back up, the object was gone. I unhooked my camera and ran around the house to the front to try to relocate it, without success. Then I came inside to upload my photos and video. After checking them I was disappointed, because there is only the faintest spot. I then looked at the images in MS Paint, and was happy to see the cigar shape, after zooming in.I did not alter, crop, resize anything. The files attached are in original condition. The object will be found in the lower left corner of the photos and video just above the trees, and to the right of the tip of the highest oak leaves on the left side of the images. It's very small, but it is there--it looks like a pale translucent white orb until you zoom in. In the video, you can see the sun glint on the object at 31-33 seconds, and at 54-56 seconds.) Honestly, I debated coming to this sight, but I did, and that is when I noticed the post by somebody in West Virginia this morning. What they described sounds like what I saw, so I decided to post."